


bleeding love

by minachandler



Series: (girl)friends don't do that to one another [26]
Category: Arrow (TV 2012)
Genre: Alternate Universe, Angst, F/F, Fluff and Smut, Smut
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-02-18
Updated: 2019-02-18
Packaged: 2019-10-31 02:34:17
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 4,094
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/17840756
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/minachandler/pseuds/minachandler
Summary: Set on earth-12. Three times Laurel Lance takes the chance to wear her heart on her sleeve and the one time her girlfriend does the same.





	bleeding love

**Author's Note:**

> So I kind of wrote this months ago and I almost forgot about it, but then I came across it while struggling with writer's block and I actually liked it? This fic with its E rating has the usual warning, don't read at work, not for kiddies, etc.

i.

Laurel Lance is woken by the sound of her alarm at six-fifteen, and she sighs, wondering if she could hit snooze for another five minutes at least.  
   
But just as she considers this, stifling a yawn with her hand, she hears a familiar voice, soft and only just audible against the gentle but persistent sounds of the shower running. And it's impossible for her not to smile, especially when seconds later she hears her girlfriend effortlessly hitting the falsetto note of her favourite song. Laurel closes her eyes now, not altogether surprised that she can feel the familiar ache start up between her legs - because _damn_ if the sound of Nyssa’s voice doesn't totally do it for her.  
   
And now Laurel gets up and out of bed. She's not wearing much - her underwear and a t-shirt - and she shivers a bit, hugging herself as she steps towards the bathroom. The door is open and the shower curtain doesn’t completely hide Nyssa using a shampoo bottle as an imaginary mic. She doesn’t see Laurel, who is watching Nyssa throw her head back and belt out the chorus about bleeding love, eyes closed, and it’s moments like these, when Nyssa seems to be in a world of her own, that Laurel wonders, not for the first time, where Nyssa disappears to in her mind.  
   
Laurel’s resultant sigh gives her presence away, though, and Nyssa immediately halts in her singing.  
   
“I see why that part is called the climax,” Laurel says.  
   
Nyssa shakes her head and chuckles in that lightly exasperated way that Laurel’s come to love. “Wow. Wordplay _and_ great hair,” Nyssa says. “Save some for the rest of us, sweetheart.” Laurel just laughs and now Nyssa raises her eyebrows a little. “Sorry if I woke you, by the way.”  
   
“‘S’okay,” Laurel replies. “I needed to get up.” She hesitates for a second, then adds, “Besides, I'm not saying I believe in angels - but if I did? I'd say you definitely have the voice of one.”  
   
And it's not that Nyssa doesn't smile at that - she does. But then she quickly ducks her head like she doesn't know what to sapy and Laurel groans inwardly, because Nyssa’s always been smoother than her and they both know it.  
   
Only then Nyssa looks up, meets Laurel’s eyes again as she sings the next line of the song (this song, like most songs, is about being in love and how hard it is). Her body is mostly obscured by steam but there no mistaking her eyes lighting up or her beckoning for Laurel to come closer. Laurel obliges, taking a couple steps towards her while pulling off her clothes. It's as she's balancing on one foot, untangling her panties from her other ankle, that she slips on the wet tiles, sure she's going to land flat on her face.  
   
Of _course_ Nyssa catches her, just in time, breaking off mid-line once more and laughing. “I got you.”  
   
“Thanks,” Laurel says, wishing she didn't feel the faint blush of embarrassment begin to colour her cheeks.  
   
“You okay?” Nyssa asks, letting Laurel right herself, then taking her hand. “You were out like a light when I got in.” Laurel squeezes back, grateful for the feeling of Nyssa's fingertip tracing tiny lines on her palm, and then instead of replying Laurel kisses her, taking Nyssa by surprise so that when they come up for air Laurel's heart is racing.  
   
Somehow, though, it is easier to speak now. “In answer to your question… yeah, I am. I just feel bad that I said I'd wait up for you,” Laurel admits.  
   
Nyssa just smiles. “That's okay. I could tell you were tired.”  
   
“Yeah,” Laurel says guiltily. “Sorry.”  
   
And now Nyssa shakes her head. “Hey. You don't have to apologise. I know things have been busy for both of us. And you are many things, Laurel Lance, but a superhuman isn't one of them. You gotta sleep.”  
   
Laurel takes a step forward, closing what little space is still between them so she can wrap her arms around Nyssa, inhaling the scent of shampoo as Laurel presses her face onto Nyssa's collarbone.  
   
“Thank you,” Laurel hears herself saying. “I - needed to hear that.”  
   
Nyssa exhales softly, biting her lip and clearly trying not to make a sound as Laurel nudges her leg between Nyssa's thighs. “One thing, though.”  
   
“Mm?”  
   
“I've missed you,” Nyssa murmurs after a second. “A lot.”  
   
“Oh yeah?” Laurel's more at ease now, now that her heart is thrumming and and the throb of desire that started up deep inside of her while still in bed is filling her up and warming her, from the tips of her toes to her cheeks, surely tinged with pink heat. Some of her previous misgivings fade away, thankfully. Nyssa moves away, not much, just an inch, and for a second Laurel's face is about to fall, but then she laughs as Nyssa's hands slip down to Laurel's waist, turning her around so Laurel's back is to her.  
   
At first Laurel gasps, because her palms hit the cold shower wall. Then it's because of the goosebumps that form on her spine when Nyssa's breath ghosts against her shoulder blades, fingers tracing the intricate wings Laurel has tattooed in the middle of her back.  
   
Nyssa's whispering in her ear, something about how she disagrees with Laurel - she's always believed in angels, and even if she didn't, she would believe that Laurel is one because Laurel's got the wings to prove it. Laurel wants to come back with some kind of quip in reply but she just manages a whimper because good _Lord_ why is Nyssa so much better at this than Laurel is?  
   
Then Nyssa's hand moves down and around, before her fingertips begin their ascent up Laurel's ribcage so tortuously slowly that Laurel barely realises she's holding her breath. Thankfully she's rewarded several moments later when Nyssa cradles Laurel's breast with her palm. Nyssa’s other hand goes up to do the same, going slow and gentle the way that Laurel likes because she's sensitive there.  
   
“I missed you too,” Laurel says, covering one of Nyssa's hands with her own and moving it down. Nyssa doesn't need much more nudging after that. Her fingers tap lightly down Laurel's abdomen and then slip inside Laurel's entrance, slick with such heat that Nyssa moans in Laurel's ear when the pad of her finger brushes against Laurel's swollen clit.  
   
Laurel gasps, only now realising how sensitive she is already, and Nyssa takes that as her cue to go feather-light in her touch and instead focusing on pressing Laurel up against the shower wall. It's cold against Laurel's breasts but on her back she feels the insistent press of hard nipples and lower down is the hot friction of Nyssa's pubic bone rubbing against her ass. Laurel moans encouragingly, then needingly when Nyssa doesn't immediately take the hint.  
   
And then Nyssa's fingertips are at Laurel's entrance once more, setting Laurel on fire from the outside in, entering her at a rhythm that makes Laurel cry out. The whole time Nyssa's kissing the back of Laurel's neck, licking at the column of her throat, catching Laurel's ear between her teeth, all of which just turns both of them on even more until Laurel's sure she's going to scream. She cranes her neck and turns a little to kiss Nyssa, and at first their kiss is - not languid, exactly, but slow, because Nyssa takes control and she's choosing to tease the fuck out of Laurel, apparently just because she can.  
   
Then Laurel's neck starts to ache, and she breaks away, but Nyssa's undeterred, dropping kisses down the slope of her neck. They start off soft, but by the time she's reached Laurel's shoulder they're nearly biting as three of Nyssa's fingers inch inside her, and Laurel knows then that she won't last much longer. She feels her walls clenching onto Nyssa's fingers and when Laurel does come the pleasure is searing, white-hot, so that she's gasping for air, even when Nyssa's hand moves to rest on Laurel's hip.  
   
Unsteadily, Laurel turns around, grateful for Nyssa's arms supporting her as she floats back to earth and then reaches up to kiss her. Somehow she catches Nyssa unawares, and finally, perhaps ironically given she's dropping to her knees, Laurel has the upper hand now as the giddy feeling of her climax starts to fade. She's no longer in her own cloud of heat but instead breathing the scent of Nyssa's desire, heady and sweet, so when Laurel's tongue darts out to taste her and Nyssa makes this keening sound that makes Laurel's heart threaten to explode - Laurel's determined to get Nyssa at the very least as hot and bothered as she is.  
   
Really Laurel’s not sure when it hits her - not exactly. As far as revelations go, she expected it to be earth-shattering, like all the times when Nyssa made her come so hard she saw stars just with her fingers and tongue - but that's not when Laurel knows she loves Nyssa. But when Laurel's knees begin to go numb so she can't quite feel the shower floor beneath them, Nyssa's fingers raking through her Laurel's hair - now wet from the shower - and when her intoxicating scent threatens to overwhelm Laurel, that she really, truly gets the simple truth: that this is where she is meant to be. With the woman she would do anything for.  
   
Then the honeyed warmth of Nyssa's pleasure is spilling onto her tongue and the sound of Nyssa crying out Laurel's name fills the room amidst the steam.  
   
Laurel doesn't mean to say it - when Nyssa takes both Laurel's hands and helps her to her feet, Laurel wants to say a million things, but it doesn't occur to her, not really, to tell Nyssa she loves her.  
   
“Wow. Fuck me,” Nyssa says softly and Laurel laughs.  
   
“ _Again_?” she says teasingly, but she can feel her eyes soften as Nyssa reaches up and the backs of her fingers brush against Laurel's wet nose.  
   
Nyssa tries to look nonchalant when she shrugs but she fails - Laurel can tell as much when she finds herself drowning in Nyssa's eyes and sees fire there.  
   
“Nyssa…” Laurel says under her breath, like a prayer, and it doesn't matter that she's never believed in God because this is the only kind of worship Laurel's really here for. And just like a pilgrim she puts up her palm and Nyssa does the same, laughing lightly at the ever so slight absurdity of it all, until their hands meet and then intertwine and Laurel pulls Nyssa's hand towards her so she can bow her head, place a kiss on Nyssa's knuckles. “Nyssa…”  
   
Nyssa interrupts her with a kiss, lazy and open-mouthed, but when Laurel buries her face into Nyssa's neck she finds herself mouthing the words into the hollow of her neck. She's purposely silent but Nyssa seems to still against the touch of her lips nevertheless and Laurel wonders if Nyssa heard her.

ii.  
   
They have to hurry after that, though, Nyssa making them both tea and Laurel eating some toast while attempting to button her shirt as she walks back into her bedroom.  
   
“You want some help with that?” Nyssa calls from the other side of the room, and Laurel looks up, sees Nyssa's finished drying her hair and is heading towards her. “Not that your shirt doesn't look great on you like that, but…”  
   
Laurel looks down and chuckles, realising that it's half-open and she's been buttoning it wrong anyway. “God, yeah.”  
   
“What's on your mind?” Nyssa asks softly, undoing the buttons on Laurel's shirt and straightening the two sides so they're even. Laurel raises her eyebrows, munching on her toast, and Nyssa adds, “You look thinky.”  
   
Quickly Laurel smiles, reaching out to touch Nyssa's cheek. For a second she considers making something up on the spot, but then she thinks better of it and decides to come out with the truth. “Yeah, I mean - I was just… thinking about how gorgeous you are.”  
   
“Hey.” Nyssa nudges Laurel playfully. “You're stealing my line.” She does up the last button. “There you go. All done.”  
   
It's only when Nyssa swipes what's left of Laurel's toast and eats it that Laurel somehow decides to say it. She's always been a bit of a spontaneous person - at least, that's what's saved her ass in the courthouse more than a few times - and so she takes a deep breath and says, “Nyssa? I - can I tell you something?”  
   
Instantly Nyssa looks worried, brow furrowing, and through her last mouthful of toast she says, “Babe, you know you can tell me anything.”  
   
Laurel laughs a little nervously. “It's nothing to worry about. Nothing bad.” Nyssa looks relieved at that, but before Laurel can continue, her phone starts to ring and she groans inwardly. She looks at the caller ID and sees it's Johnny Diggle, the District Attorney and a good friend of hers. “Sorry, it's work - Johnny wouldn't call if it wasn't important -”  
   
Nyssa shakes her head and smiles. “Dinah Laurel Lance. Always trying to save the world.”  
   
“Somebody's got to, right?” Laurel says with a smile, and Nyssa smiles back. Squeezing Nyssa’s hand gratefully, Laurel goes to the kitchen and takes the call, but when she gets back to her bedroom five minutes later she sees Nyssa's all dressed and on the phone herself, throwing her keys and some other things haphazardly into her bag.  
   
“Yes, understood. I'll be out in five.” Nyssa hangs up, looks at Laurel. ‘Hey. I gotta go in a bit earlier today. They're sending someone to pick me up. Long story.”  
   
“It's fine,” Laurel says with a shrug. “I have to get to CNRI earlier too. All good.”  
   
“So what were you going to tell me?” Nyssa asks.  
   
Laurel wishes she could say the words that were so readily on her tongue just minutes before. But it's like - the moment's passed, and her brain is refusing to cooperate with her.  
   
“Never mind,” Laurel says after a few seconds.  
   
It's not that Nyssa _doesn't_ look disconcerted, because she does, but only for a second before she rearranges her face quickly into a smile. “Okay, then.”  
   
_Wow. She really is a good actress._  
   
“I'll see you tonight, then?” Laurel asks, following Nyssa's lead and trying to sound normal, and Nyssa's relief is unmistakable. Laurel leads the way down the hall, and Nyssa slips on her heeled boots.  
   
“Yeah. Can't wait.”  
   
Laurel has to tiptoe to kiss Nyssa, who is suddenly three inches taller, and thankfully Nyssa obliges and bends her knees a little so Laurel can kiss her properly.  
   
They're interrupted by the sound of a car horn blaring outside.  
   
“Sorry, yeah, you gotta go,” Laurel says, and Nyssa nods, opening the front door. She is about to turn away but then something comes over Laurel - she tugs on Nyssa's wrist and says before she can stop herself, “I love you, Nyssa al Ghul.”  
   
Nyssa's eyes widen and her mouth falls open and she seems to be on the verge of saying something when the horn blares once more, making her jump. “Laurel - I -”  
   
“It's okay, go,” Laurel says quickly.

iii.  
   
Laurel's waiting for Nyssa on the balcony of their favourite café later that day, a pot of tea and some of the cakes Nyssa loves on the table. When Nyssa arrives Laurel doesn't see her immediately - she's engrossed in her phone, flagging emails to look at later, and then she feels an tap on her shoulder from behind her.  
   
“Hey,” Laurel says, getting to her feet and putting down her phone, but she just manages to turn around and Nyssa's already got her arms around Laurel's waist, and she can feel the warm whisper of Nyssa's breath on the hollow of her throat. “Gods, I am so glad to see you, Nyssa.”  
   
For what feels like the most fleeting of seconds they kiss, and Laurel wishes it didn't feel that tiny, tiny bit perfunctory.  
   
“Long day?” Nyssa asks as she moves to sit down on her seat opposite Laurel.  
   
Laurel sighs. “You don't know the half of it. And it's only lunchtime.”  
   
“One of these days you're gonna let me buy you a bigger office.”  
   
“Oh,” says Laurel after a second, realising that Nyssa's talking about _work_. “Yeah. I hate all these damned fat cats and their red tape.” She eyes Nyssa curiously, taking in the dipped neckline of her assassin outfit, right down to the point where it hits her cleavage, and the quiver she's still got on. “Huh. I never thought the whole killer look would do it for me… but it totally does.”  
   
Nyssa smiles. “One of these days I'll bring one of the sword props from my trailer. So badass.” She opens her mouth, smile fading, like she's about to say something, but then she seems to think the better of it.  
   
“You okay?” Laurel asks, pouring Nyssa's tea.  
   
At first Nyssa doesn't answer - and then she catches sight of the cakes on the table. “Those look so good.” Laurel's not deterred, though. She picks up her fork and offers a bit to Nyssa, who eats it and then moans softly. “Mm.”  
   
Laurel is almost distracted by that, and she has to take a breath. Then she reaches out to wipe away a little bit of jam that's at the corner of Nyssa's mouth with her thumb. “So,” Laurel says, “you okay?”  
   
“Yeah,” Nyssa replies - a little too quickly.  
   
“Listen… Nyssa - if this is about what I said this morning -”  
   
“You said a lot of things this morning,” Nyssa says lightly. “In your kitchen, in your room, in the shower -”  
   
“I think you know which thing I meant,” Laurel interrupts, wishing her heart would stop thudding so fiercely against her ribcage. “I… told you I loved you.”  
   
Nyssa nods and bites her lip the way she always does when she's nervous.  
   
“Yeah. Why did you say that?”  
   
That throws Laurel off somewhat, even though she knows Nyssa wouldn't say anything hurtful on purpose. “Whoa, objection,” she says hotly before she can stop herself, and then miraculously they both laugh and some of the tension eases.  
   
“Objection sustained, counsellor,” Nyssa replies with a smile.  
   
“Sorry -”  
   
“No, I'm sorry. I didn't mean - I -”  
   
“I know,” Laurel says softly. “I know.”  
   
“Just - it was a bit of a bombshell to drop on me. Out of nowhere. And we haven't been together long -”  
   
“I know that. But it's still been a month. That's gotta count for something, right?” Nyssa still doesn’t look convinced, though, and Laurel sighs. “Look, I didn't say it to - freak you out, or make you feel like you had to say it back.”  
   
“Really?”  
   
“Really. It just - felt _good_. I thought it would be terrifying,” she adds with a laugh, “but it was actually… really liberating wearing my heart on my sleeve for once.”  
   
“I didn't think that was really your style,” Nyssa says wryly. “Or mine.”  
   
“Me neither. But I mean - we're falling into something. I don't know exactly what it is yet, but I realised to say that I just like it or enjoy it is an understatement. I _love_ it.”  
   
(Laurel wants to add _and you_ but she figures Nyssa's had enough dropped on her already.)  
   
“Even with my crazy schedule and your crazier schedule -” Nyssa says.  
   
“Even with all of that,” Laurel says, “somehow we make it work. You make me happy, and I just wanted to tell you that.”  
   
A breeze passes over them, making Laurel’s hair fly in the wind. And Nyssa's been gazing at her intently but now she ducks her head presumably so Laurel can't see her brush her tears away - but Laurel still hears a small sniffle nevertheless. She reaches out, covers Nyssa's hand with her own.  
   
“You make me happy too,” Nyssa replies eventually, touching Laurel's cheek in return, and Laurel kisses her fingers. Nyssa looks at her, expecting Laurel to say something to her about Nyssa's rare display of emotion. But Laurel doesn't, just smiles at her.  
   
“You're cold,” she murmurs, immediately getting to her feet and starting to take off her leather jacket.  
   
Nyssa chuckles. “The one drawback of wearing this wonderful outfit - no, you don't have to -”  
   
“It's okay,” Laurel assures Nyssa as she puts it over Nyssa's shoulders. “I promise. Take it with you. I've got court later so I shouldn't be wearing it anyway.”  
   
“Only if you're sure.”  
   
“Of course.”  
   
“And - Laurel - I know you said you didn't have to hear me say it back.”  
   
“I meant it,” Laurel says, and she can't stand it a moment longer - she leans in to kiss Nyssa, mostly on impulse, clearly taking her by surprise. There's this sweetness to the crush of her mouth against Nyssa's that makes Laurel's heart ache for her and - despite what she's saying - yearn to hear those words said to her.  
   
But she also knows what kind of person Nyssa is - the kind who buries her feelings so completely she almost forgets where she left them. It's no wonder she's an actress.  And she knows that if and when and why it might happen are all down to Nyssa, no one else.

iv.  
   
Later, Nyssa's in between takes, and the director has called for everyone to take five. Nyssa sees a missed call from half an hour ago and she quickly calls Laurel back.  
   
“Oh,” Laurel says when she answers. “Hey.”  
   
“Sorry, I only just got this. I hope I'm not too late.”  
   
“No, you're right on time,” Laurel replies and Nyssa doesn't have to see her face to know that she's smiling. “And it's fine - you're the star of the show -”  
   
“ _One_ of the stars,” Nyssa corrects.  
   
“Nope, I just see one beautiful and talented Emmy-winning actress on this show,” Laurel says teasingly.  
   
“How's _your_ show going?”  
   
Now Laurel hesitates. “The jury's convening and then I gotta do my concluding statement. And I just…” But she trails off and doesn't finish her sentence.  
   
“Just what?” Nyssa asks after a second.  
   
“I needed to hear your voice.”  
   
“You've got this,” Nyssa assures her. “You're the best damn lawyer in Starling City.”  
   
Laurel laughs. “I don't know about that -”  
   
“Uh-uh. I am not going to let you go back into that courtroom without reminding you how amazing you are.”  
   
“Babe, _you're_ amazing.”  
   
“And… hey. I wanted to say something else.”  
   
There's silence for a moment. “Yeah?”  
   
“You know, I - was trying to figure out what's been on my mind all day. And I guess I was just thinking that the only reasonable explanation for you… saying what you said this morning - was that you just said it in the heat of the moment.”  
   
“Oh, I think we had more than one of those,” Laurel says, and again, Nyssa doesn't need to see her to know that she's almost definitely grinning mischievously now. “Sorry. Am I ruining your sweet nothings?”  
   
Nyssa laughs, meeting the eyes of the director who then calls out that they'll be resuming in a minute. “No,” Nyssa says, still smiling after nodding at the director. “But I gotta go in a second. Just - ever since I've become an adult, it's been so lonely. Not in the sense that I don't have a lot of friends - more that there was no one I could call my home. No one I could call up or whose door I could knock on and just _talk_ or kiss my problems away. And then you came along - into my life, so unexpectedly, and you helped me when I needed help.  
   
“In all honesty I was thinking of telling you that you could take it back. And you can, if you really want. But I want you to know that… even if you do? I - I love you too, Dinah Laurel Lance.”  
   
At first Nyssa's words are greeted with more silence, and Nyssa holds her breath, but still, nothing for five whole seconds - the longest five seconds of her life, it feels like.  
   
“Laurel?” Nyssa say uncertainly.  
   
There's a sniff on the other end of the line and then Laurel says,  “Yeah, sorry. I'm here. I just -”  
   
“Miss Lance, court will be resuming in a minute.”  
   
Nyssa hears another choked up sob and then the sound of Laurel clearing her throat hastily. “Okay, thanks, Catherine.”  
   
At that moment the director waves Nyssa over.  
   
“I gotta go,” Nyssa says quickly.  
   
“Yeah, same,” Laurel says.  
   
“Go knock that jury's socks off.”  
   
“I will.” Laurel hesitates for a second. “Love you.”

**Author's Note:**

> That's it! I know there's no new content for Lauryssa on Arrow and there hasn't been in years (*sob*) but my heart is still weak for these two. I'd love to hear what you think - thanks for reading :)


End file.
